Stapling-machine.



E. CRAIG. f

.STAPLING MACHINE., APPLICATION FILED sEPLzofwoa.-

19%11, L Patented Jai. 9, 1917..`

` 4 SHEETS-SHEET l- E. CRAIG.

STAPLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2o. 1909.

' Patented Jan. 9,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. CRAIG.

STAPLING MACHiNE.

APPLICATION mep SEPT. 20. 1909.

Patented Jan.' 9, 19.17.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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@MTE @TAS PATENT EDWARD CRAIG, OF ST. '.TOSEPH,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

WIREBOUNDS PATENTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION l F sTaPLING-MAGHINE.

Application filed September 20, 1909.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD CRAIG, a citizen of the United States of America., and resident of St. Joseph, Berrien county, Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stapling-lvachines, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention contemplates an improved machine for driving staples outwardly through the walls of a box. in the manufacture of wire bound boxes the end walls thereof are secured in place by staples orv nails driven from the inside. With this method, the first pass through the end walls of the box and then. outwardly into the cleats.

Broa-dly considered, my invention contemplates a machine for stapling the heads or end walls to the cleats of a wire bound box, having means outside of the box for making the staples upside down, and means inside of the box for driving the staples upwardly, whereby the staples need not be turned over after being made and before being driven.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stapling machine embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1. staple former. Fig. 4 is a` vertical section on linea- 4 in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section on line 5*5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the staples made by my improved machine. Fig. 7 is a. fragmentary perspective view of the receiving end of the trough or guide for the staples. Fig. 8 is a transverse section on line 8`8 in Fig. 15. Fig. 9 is a perspective of one of the fingers that are employed to guide the staples into the trough. Fig. l0 is a perspective of the delivery end of the trough in which the sta-ples are fed forward and finally delivered to the driver. Fig. 1l is a vertical section on line 11-11 in Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail section on line 12-12 in Fig. 2. Fig. 13

is av perspective ofthe block in which the staple-driver operates. Fig. 14 is a horizontal section on line 1414 in Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is a detail plan view of that portion of the machine where the staples are made. Fig. 16 is a vertical sectionA on line 16-16 in Fig. l5.

As thus illustrated, my invention com- For example,l

said staples or nails.

Fig. 3 is a. perspective of the4 Specification of Letters Patent.

-tatentea aan. e, iai t. serial-N0. 518,582.

prises a standard A mounted on a base B and provided with a horizontal -upper portion C. The portion C is hollow and contains the driving arm D which is pivoted at d. At its outer end the portion C, which serves as a rest or table for the end of the box, is provided with the block E, which latter has beveled or converging outer sides e, as shown. This block E has a vertical recess e in which the driver e2 slides .up and down. This driver, it will' be seen, has a block es that is engaged by the arm D, whereby theI driver is moved up and down. Therecess e is open at its upper end, at e, to permit the upward insertion of the staples through the cleats and end walls of the box.

y At 'c5 the said recess is enlarged to receive the end of the trough or Aguide F, and the end of the guide bar G. It will be seen that the end of the said trough or guide F has a spring lip f upon which the staple rests upside down immediately before it is delivered to the staple-driver e2. The inner side surfaces of the box to be stapled bear against the sides e of the block E during the operation of manipulating the box by hand on the rest C, and while the staples are being driven. Thus the bloclv E serves as a guide for the box. The staples straddle the lower edge of the bar G, and rest upside down in the trough F. One by one these staples are fed to the space above the driver c2, and then driven upwardly.

An adjustable clamp H, mounted on the end of the arm 7L, holds the end of the box down while the staples are being driven. The arm It is pivoted at It upon the frame 71,2, which latter is rigid with the portion C, and with the standard.

Forcertain broader purposes of my invention, the staples can be made in any suitable manner, but 'are preferably made on thel machine. The rear end of the trough or guide F has a supportJ f over and upon which the wire is fed from the tube f2. Fingers f3, for engaging the sides of the staples, are secured upon the top of the rear portion of the trough or guide F. The rear end of the bar G, which is supported horivzontally with its lower edge in the said trough or guide, is between the iingers f3 and just above the support f. The staple former I is inverted and arranged to slide up and down in the frame of the machine. 'It has a slot i that receives the support ,f 11.@

'are adapted to engage is reciprocated horizontally and the bar G, when the staple is formed. The upper ends z" and yz" of the staple former the wire and cut off a suitable length thereof and then bend the same on the lower edge of the bar Gr. See Fig. 5. T he lower end of the staple 'former has a pair of ears 2 whereby it is operated by a link The upper end of this link is pivoted on thel end of the arm h. Thus each time a staple is driven at the outer' end of the trough F, another staple is formed at the other end of said trough 01 guide.

The reciprocating staple feeder J slides horizontally upon the end portion ofthe bar G and has lateral recesses y' which receive the fingers f3. This staple-feeder moves forward when the driver e2 and former I are retracted to their normal or lower positions. In this way the one staple is driven while the other is being made, and then all the staples are fed forward a distance equal to the thickness of the wire from which they are made. This brings `a fresh staple into position to be driven the next time the driver e2 moves upward. Said staple feeder J has its rear end provided with a roll j that is operated by a suitable cam (Fon the driving shaft K. In this way the said staple feeder and in a direction lengthwiseA of the bar G. The feeder J is retracted to normal position by the spring j3.

The arm D has a roll d that engages the cam (Pon the said operating shaft. The arm 7L has a simil-ar roll h3 that engages a cam h* on said shaft. These cams are set oppositely, so that the arm I) moves up when the arm L moves down. A spring r" connects the rear ends of said arms and holds the said rolls in engagement with the said cams.

A spring L serves to retract the staple former to its normal or lower position, after each staple is formed. The wire X for the staples is fed by rolls M into a tube m, and from the latter to the. tube and to the staple former. The lower roll has a ratchet mechanism `m operated b v an arm mf. This arm is pivoted at mi* and has its upper end provided with a roll m* which engages a cam fm lon the shaft K. A spring m serves to keep the roll -mf in engagement with the cam 'mi'. Thus the wire is automatically fed and cut and formed into staples by mechanism on the machine.

The bar (i is preferably slightly thinner at the bottom than at the top. This gives the staples a slight flare or spread. Thus the outward spring or tension of the staples keeps themY tight against thefingers 7'" and in upright position when the feeder J is retracted.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide a very simple and highly eliicient stapling machine-for doing` work of the general character disclosed. It will be seen that the staples are made and fed and driven in an inverted position. By this, I mean that the staples are made with their points upward, are fed forward in that position, and are driven in the same position. It follows, therefore, that the staple former, the staple guide, and the staple driver are also inverted.

Forthe broader purposes of my invention, I do not limit myself to the use of staples. Obviously, the mechanism may be changed or modified without departing from the spirit of my invention. so as to use nails or other fastening devices instead of staples. I am theiirst to make the staples upside down, by mechanism outside of the box, feed the same forward into the box, maintaining the said staples with their `points upward, and then drive them upwardly.

-\Vhat I claim as my invention is:

l. In a box stapling machine, mechanism for making the staples with their points up, mechanism for feeding a row or series of the staples horizontally in the same position, mechanism for driving the staples upward, disposed a distance from the staple making mechanism, said row of staples with their points upward extending from the point where they are made to the point where they are driven upward, and means serving as a gage by which the sides of the box may be successively engaged on the inner surface thereof to properly position the same relatively to the staple driving mechamsm.

2. In a box stapling machine, a driving mechanism, a guide for directing a row or series of staples to said mechanism, a f orming device arranged for making the staples at Athe distant end of said row, means adapted to project inside of the box to gage the position'thereof, and means adjacent said device for exerting pressure only on the end of said row, to feed all of the staples forward on the guide, keeping said staples pointing in the same direction from the time they are made until they are driven.

In a box stapling machine, staple-driving mechanism, staple-guiding means leading thereto, staple-feeding mechanism for moving the staples on the guiding means, a staple-forming mechanism arranged permanently a distance from the driving mechanism and between the guiding means and feeding mechanism, and means serving as a gage by which the sides of the box may be successively engaged on the inner surface thereof to properly position the same relatively to the staple driving mechanism.

l. In a boxv stapling machine, a stationary guide bar, means for forming staples on the under side of said bar, means for feeding the staples along the lower edge of said bar, means below the bar for supporting and holding the staples thereon, means for drivy30 gaged on the inner surface thereof to ing the staples, disposed a distance from the staple forming means, and means serving as a gage by which the sides of the box lmay be successively engaged on the inner surface thereof to properly lposit-ion the same relatively to the staple driving mechamsm.

5. In a box stapling machine, a guide for a row or series of inverted staples, mechanism for making the stapleswith their points up, mechanism for feeding the last or freshly made inverted staple onto the guide, to thereby feed all of the previously made staples forward, keeping them crowd- 4ed tight y together, and means for driving the staples, the staple making mechanism and the staple driving means being disposed a distance apart.

6. In a box stapling machine, a driving mechanism, means for feeding a tightly compressed row .of staples to said mechanism with their points uppermost, keeping said staples pointing in the same direction from the time they livery end thereof with a spring lip"fer de livering the staples to the said mechanism, and means serving sides of the box may be successively enproperly position thesame relatively to the staple driving mechanism, said driving mechanism and feeding means being spaced a distance apart.

a5 7. In a box stapling machine, a stationary staple-guide, a staple former arranged to form staples with their points uppermost at one end of said guide, a staple driver arranged to drive staples with their points 40 uppermost at the other end of said guide, said guide being formed with the same edge downward throughout its length, whereby all the staples between the said former and driver are upside down, means for moving l the staples along said guide from the former to the driver, keeping said staples pointing in the saine direction from the time they are made until they are driven, and means serving as a gage by which the sides of the box may be successively engaged on the inner surface thereof to properly position the same relatively to the staple driving mechanism. 8. In a machine for driving fastening devices, mechanism for making the fasteners upside down, means for feeding a row or series of the fasteners upside down, by pushing on one end of the row to communicate the feeding motion through the row to so the other end thereof, mechanism LAfor driving the fasteners-one by one in an upward direction, whereby the fasteners retain their -original position throughout their course of travel, and means serving as a gage by which the sides of the box may be succesare made until they are- A 25 driven, guiding means provided onthe de-A as agage by which vtheof the sively engaged on the inner surface thereof to properly position the same relatively to the staple driving mechanism, said making mechanism andmsaid driving mechanism being disposed at opposite ends of said row. 7@ In a machine for driving fastening devices, the combination of a guide for holding a row or series of fasteners with their points extending upward in the proper direction for driving, mechanism for automatically delivering the said fasteners with their points upward to one end of said guide, keeping said staples pointing in the same direction from the time they are made until they are driven, mechanism at the 8O other end of said guide for driving the fasteners one by one in the said direction, said delivering mechanism holding the staples always with their points upward, whereby the fasteners retain their original inverted position throughout their ventire course of travel through the machine, and means serving as 'a gage by which the sides of the box may be successively engaged on the inner surface .thereof to properly position the same relatively to the staple driving mechanism, said delivering mechanism and said driving mechanism being engaged at opposite ends of said row.

l0. In a machine for driving fastening devices, a guide for holding a row or series fasteners in an inverted position, keeping said staples pointing in the same direction from the time they are made until they are driven, mechanism for automati- 180 cally delivering the fasteners in an inverted position to one end of said guide, mechanismfor automatically receiving the fasteners in an inverted position from the other end of the guide and driving the same, said 185 delivering mechanism 'and guide holding the staples always with their points upward, whereby the fasteners retain their original inverted position throughout their entire course of travel through the machine,'and 116 means serving as agage by which the sides of the box may be successively engaged on the inner surface thereof to properly position the same relatively to the staple driving mechanism, said delivering mechanism and said receiving mechanism being disposed at opposite ends of said row.

l1. In a box stapling machine, means for making the staples with their points up, means for feeding the staples in a row with 12@ their points up, means for driving the staples iipward at the outer end of said row, and means for engaging the inner surfaces of the box to gage .the position thereof, the staple making' means driving means being arranged at opposite ends of said row.

l2. In a stapling machine, the combination with mechanism for driving the staples in an upward direction, of means for form- 136 and the staple their bases, and means ing the staples with their points uppermost, staple guiding means adapted to guide the staples points uppermost `from a point adjarent the forming means to a point adjacent the driving means, means to support the sta most as formed and present them to the driving mechanism.

H. In a stapling machine, the combination with mechanism for driving the staples in an upward direction, of wire feeding means; wire severing means; Wipers; a. former plate; means to carry said wipers in an upward direction to wipe the legs of the staple in an upward direction; means to support the staples by engagement with the bottoms of their bases, and means to feed the staples point uppermost and present them to the driving mechanism point uppermost.

Signed by this 13th day of September, 1909.

EDVARD CRAIG.

Witnesses I ELLswoii'rii L. LAKE, WV. H. RAY.

me at St. Joseph, Michigan, 35 

